Cushioned elbow support attachment for chair armrests

ABSTRACT

A cushioned elbow support attachment for chair armrests. The attachment comprises a cushion made of material having elastic properties and filled with a plurality of smooth edge rounded oblong pellets and attachment means for attaching the cushion to an armrest. The cushion may be covered by an outer material to protect it, to provide decorative colors and patterns, and to provide points of attachment for the attachment means, which may be straps, hook and loop fasteners, or clips.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 USC119(e) of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/198,585, filed Nov. 7, 2008, the contents of which are incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In present day situations persons often work at computer stations ordesks for long periods of time, in which case the arms of the chair inwhich they are seated provide a rest for the user's elbows. Armreststypically present a surface of hard or relatively hard material, whichis uncomfortable for the user, especially over a long period of time.Thus, it is known in the prior art to provide auxiliary pads forattachment to the upper surface of the chair arms. Such auxiliary padsare shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,247,547, U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,053, U.S. Pat.No. 6,578,914, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,396. However, these devices allsuffer from deficiencies with regard to the flexibility of theirstructures and manners of attachment to the armrests of the chair, whichlimit the comfort they provide to the user and the flexibility to alloweasy attachment to a variety of armrest shapes. This inventionalleviates the problems present in the prior art.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a cushioned elbow support attachment forplacement upon the upper surface of the armrest of a chair having anelongated sack-like cushion made of material having elastic propertiesand having a bottom surface. A plurality of smooth edge rounded pelletsare contained in the cushion. Attachment means secure the cushion inplace on the armrest with the bottom surface of the cushion injuxtaposition with the upper surface of the armrest.

The present invention further provides a cushioned elbow supportattachment for placement upon the upper surface of the armrest of achair, having an elongated sack-like cushion made of material havingelastic properties and having a bottom surface. A plurality of smoothedged rounded pellets are contained within the cushion. An outercovering of material covers the cushion and has a bottom surface.Attachment means secure the cushion and the outer covering in place onthe armrest with the bottom surface of the outer covering injuxtaposition with the upper surface of the armrest.

The invention still further provides a cushioned elbow supportattachment for placement upon the upper surface of the armrest of achair having an elongated sack-like cushion made of material havingelastic properties and a plurality of smooth edged rounded pelletscontained within the cushion. The smooth edged rounded pellets beingcircular or non-circular (for example, oblong) in shape, may consist ofany natural or synthetic material, namely, polypropylene, sand, gel,beans, seeds, or any like material. The pellets may have a mid-pointdiameter of one-eighth of an inch and a length of three-sixteenths of aninch. An outer covering of material comprising a top piece and a bottompiece attached together at a side edge seam extending around saidcushion covers the cushion. Spaced straps attached to the outer cover atthe edge seam secure the cushion and the outer covering in place on thearmrest with the bottom piece of the outer covering in juxtapositionwith the upper surface of the armrest.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings, when considered in conjunction with the followingdescription, are presented for the purpose of facilitating anunderstanding of the invention sought to be protected.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the components of a first embodiment ofthe cushion of the elbow support attachment and a first attachmentarrangement for the elbow support attachment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the cushion shownin FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the cushion ofthe inventive elbow support attachment.

FIG. 4 shows in more detail the operation of one of the attachmentstraps shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a desk chair with the elbow supportattachment of FIG. 1 installed on the armrests of the chair.

FIG. 6 is a close-up perspective view of the elbow support attachment ofFIG. 1 installed upon the armrest of the chair, with the user's forearmresting thereon.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bottom of the cushion of the elbowsupport attachment showing another means for attaching the device to thearmrest of a chair.

FIG. 8 is a view of a first attachment arrangement that can be used withthe elbow support attachment cushion shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view of a second attachment arrangement that can be usedwith the elbow support attachment cushion of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a view of a third attachment arrangement that can be usedwith the elbow support attachment cushion of FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing a first tension clip means for attachingthe elbow support attachment cushion to the armrest of a chair.

FIG. 12 is a front view of a second tension clip means for attaching theelbow support attachment cushion to the armrest of a chair.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged side view of a pellet used in the cushion of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION

The inventive elbow support attachment comprises a support cushion andmeans for attaching the cushion to the armrest of a chair. FIG. 1 is anexploded view showing the components of the support cushion and a firststrap arrangement to attach it to the arms of a chair. The cushion isdesignated by the numeral 1. Cushion 1 comprises a top piece 2 and abottom piece 3 which are joined together at their edges by sewing orother appropriate means to form a sack that is filled with a pluralityof smooth edge rounded polypropylene pellets 4. Top piece 2 and bottompiece 3 are made of material having elastic properties, such aspolyester, lycra, spandex, cotton, or any combination thereof. Thepolypropylene pellets 4, in combination with the expandable fabric toppiece 2 and bottom piece 3, provide a very pliable cushion 1 which moldsto the shape of the armrest of the chair and to the user's arm,maximizing the stability of cushion 1 and the comfort provided to theuser. This arrangement is shown in FIG. 2. Assembly of the cushion canbe accomplished by attaching the edges of top piece 2 and bottom piece 3together at their edges except for a small filler opening, through whichpellets 4 are inserted prior to the opening being closed. While cushion1 is shown in the drawings as being made with top piece 2 and bottompiece 3 comprising equal halves, the proportions of the two can vary,for example, with top piece 2 describing a larger portion of cushion 1than bottom piece 3. Alternatively, the cushion can be made of a singlepiece of material attached together at its side edges, or can be formedas a one-piece sleeve with the ends closed by appropriate means such assewing. In addition, the shape of cushion 1 is not limited to that whichis shown in the drawings.

Polypropylene pellets 4 advantageously are somewhat oblong in shape, asis shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 13. The ranges of dimensions are amid-point diameter (D) of one-sixteenth to three-sixteenths of an inchand a length (L) of one-eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch. Thepreferred dimensions are a mid-point diameter (D) of one-eighth of aninch and a length (L) of three sixteenths of an inch.

As shown in FIG. 3, an outer top cover piece 6 and an outer bottom coverpiece 7 can alternatively be installed about the cushion 1. Outer topcover piece 6 and outer bottom cover piece 7 also can be made of fabrichaving elastic properties, or can be of non-elastic fabrics such asnylon, denim or neoprene, which provide more protection for cushion 1and can be covered by decorative patterns. The presence of outer pieces6 and 7 also facilitates the use of a number of different means forattaching cushion 1 to the armrests of chairs of varying types withoutcompromising the integrity of the structure of inner cushion 1.

Further, the outer cover comprised of outer top cover piece 6 and outerbottom cover piece 7 may be openable so as to remove the inner cushioncomprised of top piece 2 and bottom piece 3. This feature allows theouter cover to be more easily washed once the inner cushion is removed.The outer covers 6 and 7 may be closeable by any means known in the art.Such means may include but are not limited to: zippers, buttons, snaps,hook and loop mechanisms, or any other mechanisms currently or laterknown.

The manners of attachment of the elbow support to the armrests ofchairs, which are described below, apply to both the basic single layerembodiment of cushion 1 that is shown in FIG. 2, and the alternativetwo-layer construction shown in FIG. 3.

A first manner of attaching the cushion is shown in detail in FIG. 1.This system comprises a pair of straps 9 and 10, each of which includesa toe section 11 upon which is one of the elements 12 of a hook and loopfastening system, that is, the hooks or the loops, a mid section 13,upon which is the other element 14 of a hook and loop fastening system,and an end section 15 which terminates in a loop 16 through which a ring17 is passed. As shown in FIG. 1, mid sections 13 and end sections 15are attached to cushion 1 by sewing them into the seam connecting toppiece 2 and bottom piece 3 or, if so provided of outer cover pieces 6and 7. FIG. 4 illustrates how the toe section 11 of each strap is passedthrough its respective ring 17 and then doubled back to engage the hookand loop fastening system. In FIGS. 5 and 6 the elbow support attachmentis shown installed upon the upper surface of the armrest 20 of a deskchair by passing straps 9 and 10 around the armrests 20 and thensecuring them in place. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, an additional piece ofhook or loop fabric 21 can be attached to the side of cushion 1 tosecure long loose ends of toe sections 11 of straps 9 and 10, if needbe. A non-slip pad may be interposed between the cushion and the armrestto prevent the cushion from moving during use.

Alternative embodiments of the strap construction are also within thescope of the invention. For example, a first strap section carrying thehook portions of a hook and loop fastening system can extend from oneside of the cushion, to mate with a second strap section carrying theloop portion of the hook and loop fastening system. Another example ismaking straps 9 and 10 of one-piece construction and passing themthrough cushion 1 or through loops attached to the exterior surface ofbottom piece 3 or, in the case of the two layer construction describedbelow, through outer bottom piece 7. Straps with common buckle fastenersalso can be used, as can separate straps that encircle the cushion andthe arm of the chair upon which it is placed.

FIGS. 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 show the invention attached to a desk chair'sarmrest. As used herein, the term armrest can be broadly defined as a“secondary surface”. To that end, the present disclosure contemplatesattaching the cushion 1 to any secondary surface. Such secondarysurfaces may include: a shoulder strap, a mouse pad, a vehicle consoleor any other console, a keyboard tray, or any other surface where a usermay benefit from applying the described cushion thereupon.

FIG. 7 shows the elbow support attachment in the form having an outertop piece 6 and an outer bottom piece 7. Attached to outer bottom piece7 is a strip of fabric 22, which carries either the hook or the loopelement 23 of a hook and loop fastening system. In FIG. 8, the otherelement 24 of the hook and loop fastening system is provided on twostraps 25 which encircle armrest 20. A similar system is shown in FIG.9, where a connecting strap 26 attaches the two straps 25 together. Thesystem shown in FIG. 9 insures that cushion 1 can be positioned in avariety of locations on armrest 20. In both of these arrangements, thestraps can be attached to the arm of the chair by their own hook andloop systems or, alternatively, can be held in place by gluing oradhesive tape. A third version of this system is shown in FIG. 10, wherea single panel 25 or a plurality of panels carrying the mating hook orloop element is attached to the top of armrest 20 of the chair by gluingor adhesive tape, which attaches directly to strip 22.

Another manner of attachment is by means of tension clamps. As shown inFIG. 11, a tension clamp 30 has a pair of opposed upwardly facingspring-loaded clamping arms 31 and a pair of downwardly facingspring-loaded clamping arms 32. Upwardly facing arms 31 can directlyengage cushion 1 or, as shown in FIG. 11, can engage a hard base 33 thatis placed beneath cushion 1, or the downwardly facing tension loadedclamping arms can be attached directly to a hard base, upon whichcushion 1 can be attached through any of the means described herein.This arrangement is particularly well suited to install the elbowsupport upon an armrest where structure inhibits the attachment of theaforementioned straps, such as those commonly found on stadium, theater,airline and other like seats. The arrangement shown in FIG. 12 utilizesa pair of downwardly facing tension-loaded clamping arms 34, which canbe attached directly to cushion 1 by means such as sewing or passingthrough a loop. Clips 31, 32 and 34 can be made of any suitablematerial, such as metal or plastic.

FIG. 13 shows the use of smooth edge rounded polypropylene pellets inthe size ranges set forth above contained in a sack of material whichhas elastic properties makes the inventive elbow support attachment veryflexible, and therefore it can conform to a multitude of armrest shapesand sizes while still providing very comfortable elbow support for theuser. The plurality of manners in which the elbow support can beattached allows it to be used with virtually any armrest style or shape.These factors also make the device easily installable and removable fromthe armrest upon which it has been placed.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatis considered a most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to beunderstood that it is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangement,but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included withinthe spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of theappended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalentarrangements.

1. A cushioned support attachment for placement upon a secondarysurface, comprising: an elongated sack-like cushion made of materialhaving elastic properties and having a bottom surface; a plurality ofsmooth edge rounded pellets contained in said cushion; and attachmentmeans for securing said cushion in place on said secondary surface withsaid bottom surface of said cushion in juxtaposition with said uppersurface of said secondary surface.
 2. The cushioned support attachmentof claim 1 wherein said attachment means comprises a plurality of spacedstraps attached to said cushion and adapted to be passed around saidsecondary surface and secured thereto.
 3. The cushioned supportattachment of claim 1 wherein said attachment means comprises: a hookand loop fastening system wherein one of the components of said hook andloop fastening system is mounted on said bottom surface of said cushion;and a plurality of straps adapted to be passed around said secondarysurface and secured thereto, said straps having the other of thecomponents of said hook and loop fastening system mounted thereon. 4.The cushioned elbow support attachment of claim 1 wherein saidattachment means comprises: a hook and loop fastening system wherein oneof the components of said hook and loop fastening system is mounted onsaid bottom surface of said cushion; a plurality of first straps adaptedto be passed around said secondary surface and secured thereto in spacedrelationship to one another, said straps having the other of thecomponents of said hook and loop fastening system mounted thereon; and aconnecting strap spanning the space between said plurality of firststraps and attaching said plurality of first straps to one another, saidconnecting strap also having said other of the components of said hookand loop fastening system mounted thereon.
 5. The cushioned elbowsupport attachment of claim 1 wherein said attachment means comprises: ahook and loop fastening system wherein one of the components of saidhook and loop fastening system is mounted on said bottom surface of saidcushion; and a panel attachable to said secondary surface, said panelhaving the other of the components of said hook and loop fasteningsystem mounted thereon.
 6. The cushioned elbow support attachment ofclaim 1 wherein said attachment means comprises: a pair of tensionloaded arms extending from said bottom surface of said cushion inU-shaped relationship to one another, said arms being attachable to saidsecondary surface.
 7. The cushioned support attachment of claim 1wherein said attachment means comprises: a hard base panel supportingsaid bottom surface of said cushion; and a pair of tension-loaded armsextending from said hard base panel in U-shaped relationship to oneanother, said arms being attachable to said secondary surface.
 8. Thecushioned support attachment of claim 1 wherein said smooth edge roundedpellets are oblong in shape and have a mid-point diameter in the rangeof one-sixteenth to three-sixteenths of an inch and a length in therange of one-eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch.
 9. The cushionedsupport attachment of claim 1 wherein said smooth edge rounded pelletsare oblong in shape and have a mid-point diameter of one-eighth of aninch and a length of three-sixteenths of an inch.
 10. The cushionedsupport attachment of claim 1 wherein said attachment means comprises: aclip comprising first and second pairs of spring loaded arms extendingin U-shaped relationship to one another, said first and second pairs ofspring loaded arms being oriented in substantially opposite directions,said first set of spring loaded arms being attachable to said cushionand said second set of spring loaded arms being attachable to saidsecondary surface.
 11. A cushioned support attachment for placement uponthe upper surface of a secondary surface, comprising: an elongatedsack-like cushion made of material having elastic properties; aplurality of smooth edge rounded pellets contained within said cushion;an outer covering of material covering said cushion and having a bottomsurface; and attachment means for securing said cushion and said outercovering in place on said secondary surface with said bottom surface ofsaid outer covering in juxtaposition with said upper surface of saidsecondary surface.
 12. The cushioned support attachment of claim 11wherein said attachment means comprises a plurality of spaced strapsattached to said outer cover and adapted to be passed around saidsecondary surface and secured thereto.
 13. The cushioned supportattachment of claim 11 wherein said attachment means comprises: a hookand loop fastening system wherein one of the components of said hook andloop fastening system is mounted on said bottom surface of said outercover; and a plurality of straps adapted to be passed around saidsecondary surface and secured thereto, said straps having the other ofthe components of said hook and loop fastening system mounted thereon.14. The cushioned support attachment of claim 11 wherein said attachmentmeans comprises: a hook and look fastening system wherein one of thecomponents of said hook and loop fastening system is mounted on saidbottom surface of said outer cover; a plurality of first straps adaptedto be passed around said secondary surface and secured thereto in spacedrelationship to one another, said straps having the other of thecomponents of said hook and loop fastening system mounted thereon; and aconnecting strap spanning the space between said plurality of firststraps and attaching said plurality of first straps to one another, saidconnecting strap also having said other of the components of said hookand loop fastening system mounted thereon.
 15. The cushioned supportattachment of claim 11 wherein said attachment means comprises: a hookand loop fastening system wherein one of the components of said hook andloop fastening system is mounted on said bottom surface of said outercover; and a panel attachable to said secondary surface, said panelhaving the other of the components of said hook and loop fasteningsystem mounted thereon.
 16. The cushioned support attachment of claim 11wherein said attachment means comprises: a pair of tension loaded armsextending from said bottom surface of said outer cover in U-shapedrelationship to one another, said arms being attachable to saidsecondary surface.
 17. The cushioned support attachment of claim 11wherein said attachment means comprises: a hard base panel attached tosaid bottom surface of said cushion; and a pair of tension loaded armsattached to said hard base panel and extending from said hard base panelin U-shaped relationship to one another, said arms being attachable tosaid armrest.
 18. The cushioned elbow support attachment of claim 11wherein said smooth edge rounded pellets are oblong in shape and have amid-point diameter in the range of one-sixteenth to three-sixteenths ofan inch and a length in the range of one-eighth to three-sixteenths ofan inch.
 19. The cushioned support attachment of claim 11 wherein saidsmooth edge rounded pellets are oblong in shape and have a mid-pointdiameter of one-eighth of an inch and a length of three sixteenths of aninch.
 20. The cushioned support attachment of claim 11 wherein saidattachment means comprises: a clip comprising first and second pairs ofspring loaded arms extending in U-shaped relationship to one another,said first and second pairs of spring loaded arms being oriented insubstantially opposite directions, said first set of spring loaded armsbeing attachable to said cushion and said second set of spring loadedarms being attachable to said secondary surface.
 21. A cushioned elbowsupport attachment for placement upon the upper surface of the armrestof a chair, comprising: an elongated sack-like cushion made of materialhaving elastic properties; a plurality of smooth edge rounded pelletscontained within said cushion; an outer cover of material covering saidcushion, said outer cover comprising a top piece and a bottom pieceattached together at a side edge seam extending around said cushion; ahook and loop fastening system wherein one of the components of saidhook and loop fastening system is mounted on said bottom surface of saidelbow cushion support; and a panel attachable to said armrest, saidpanel having the other of the components of said hook and loop fasteningsystem mounted thereon.